Welp more.

Chapter 2:

Slamming the small glass down, Vanille could feel her face contort and shift to try and brush the burning sensation off the liquid flowing down her throat. She knew that it was probably going to get a thousand and one questions but she couldn't answer any questions let alone talk about what she wanted to sober fearing what would happen.

"Vanille calm down. I can't carry you and you are on like your tenth shot." Serah said in a very worried tone as she looked at her friend who waved her off casually. As she gestured for another one. "Seriously what is so bad that you need to drink this much? Did you like run over a fawn or something?" Serah reasoned as she could see Vanille down the liquid in the glass once again.

"No." Vanille said as she quickly started to shift her neck from the sudden burning sensation. "Just... neeeeeed... to be 'tle drunk. Breakin' an 'omise 'ere." Vanille continued as she leaned forward a bit to grab at the bright blue coloured drink. Frowning a little at the sight of Serah moving the bottle out of her way.

"More alcohol isn't the answer. Just tell me. Is the promise that Fang has a crush on me? Because she hasn't exactly hidden that. She's actually told me that she'll get me eventually to accept a date from her." Serah said in a calm but measured tone as she stared at her red haired friend. She didn't want to see her friend clearly with something chewing away at her mind this much. "So come on spill... I was expecting less getting shit faced and more heart to heart about something."

Blinking a little as she leaned back on the stool, Vanille barely grasped at the counter as to keep her balance. "THE TWO!" Vanille began as she pulled herself back to the counter, laughing a little as she just braced herself against it. "That was fun... now what was I saying? Oh yes ! The two aren't mutu- mutua- muttttuuuaallll-. Stupid word exclusive."

"Mutually?" Serah asked calmly as Vanille started to snap her fingers and gesture forward a little as if she was agreeing to what the pink haired woman proposed.

"You see... I'm having the world's longest dry streak."

"Yes I gathered that when you were oogling Claire. And I forgive that." Serah said interrupting her friend's train of thought knowing it was probably going to backfire, but she had to at least make it clear to her that being drunk wasn't needed for this.

As Vanille pressed a finger to Serah's lips she just smiled at her with a childish smile on her face. "Sssshhhh. My story time. You get the stupid bear or whatever next." Vanille began as she pulled back. Just smiling as she stared into the blue eyes. "I'm held up... and Fang would kill me if she even thought I was trying anything." Vanille continued as she quickly pressed her finger back to Serah's mouth knowing that something was going to be coming. "And you still aren't my type... I mean I'm seeing someone... at least I think I am? It's been really complicated the last few years. Like really really really complicated."

"I'm not sure how you would not know. Is it like a friends with benefits thing and you want it to get serious? Did the batteries die in you special alone time toy?" Serah asked ignoring how the finger seemed to push further and harder against her lips. "You didn't finish your story did you?" Serah asked as Vanille started to violently nod her head.

"Annnnn to an... an... answer... your question I think at least I'm dat-" Vanille was cut off by the sound of Serah's phone starting to go off in the small purse between them.

"I'm so sorry Vanille. That is Lebreau's ringtone. It could be Light. Just stay right here." Serah began as she reached into her purse and grabbed her phone before gesturing a bartender down. "Maqui can you please get some coffee or water for Vanille... and don't get too close she gets handsy when she is this drunk." Serah said as the blonde just smiled at her and gestured her off.

Shaking her head Vanille started to pout as she slumped down against the bar. "I've been dating your sister." Vanille muttered softly as she closed her eyes to see the blonde man walking back and placing a small white mug down by Vanille. "Imma not drunk! Justlovesick!" Vanille yelled as she tried to move away while still staying on the stool.

"Vanille, it would be for the best if you just drink the coffee to sober up a little. At least so Serah doesn't need to carry you home." Maqui said trying to keep a slight distance after he remembered the last time Serah warned him and he didn't listen.

"Where is Serah? She has a cute butt. Not hot like Lightning's... but cute. But their faces are hot." Vanille muttered as she rested her head on her arms and took a deep breath as she could see the blonde man just roll his eyes.

"You must be drunk. Sergeant hard ass and Serah?" Maqui asked as Vanille nodded her head a little.

"Lightning's butt is hard... and I just want to sink my teeth into it." Vanille spoke with a smile at a find memory of the time her and Light spent a weekend together. The way that Lightning had to wait a week before she could sit down properly. Reaching for the cup Vanille sat up with a smile as she took a large mouthful before she spat it back into the cup. "Hot."

Before Vanille could raise the mug again, she could see Serah nearly sprint towards them. "Maqui we need to go. Your possibly late boss just lost my sister. And god forbid if harm comes to Claire." Serah began as she lowered the mug in Vanille's hand and started to help her up. "Come on Vanille. We need to drop you off at Fang's."

"No. I want to see Lightning... Fang will be too busy ooooooggggllling your cute butt."

"Fine come on Vanille."

Hoisting Vanille up the best she could, Serah nearly jumped at the feeling of the hand on her butt. Reaching down, Serah grabbed the offending article and rolled her eyes. "Vanille, not the time." Serah snapped as they started to walk out. All she could really hope for was the cold salt water air would at least sober her up enough to not be as handsy as she had been.

"Sorry... it has just been so long... and you look cute. Easily a nine point five out of ten. You lose half a point from the lack of muscles and being smaller than me." Vanille stated as Serah rolled her eyes and opened the door with her shoulder.

"Okay Vanille, I can do drunk and oddly flattering flirting coming from my best friend, or I can do panic attack searching for my older sister who doesn't even remember why she is handicap now and unable to do the job she loved to do so much. And I hate to break it to you, but the panic attack is looking like the good option. So I ask politely, do you want to wait here and I'll call Fang to come and get you, or can you walk by yourself and keep your hands off of me as we search." Serah stated sternly feeling like she was back in work again given how much like a child Vanille had a tendency to act when she had been drinking.

Laughing a little Vanille couldn't help but remember the one fatal flaw in what Serah was saying. "Fang is in Pulse. But I'll try." Vanille said leaning forward getting met with a hand across her mouth as she tried to kiss Serah who rolled her eyes.

Under any other circumstance Serah would have laughed a little, but right now there was a lot more pressing matter. Namely finding where Lightning had managed to run off to. Confident that Vanille had stopped, Serah pulled her hand back and grasped onto Vanille's and started to drag the woman down the street as she fished out her phone once more. Just praying that nothing bad was going to happen to Lightning knowing that it would find its way back to Lebreau a thousand fold.

Trying to slide her handbag up her arm a little so she could at least keep track of everything she is meant to. She couldn't afford to lose anything now. Quickly scrolling down the list of contacts to try and find one that she can't believe she has had to call twice in her lifetime when it came to a situation like this, she just hoped that it wouldn't end up the same way.

Turning around a little to see Vanille keeping stride as though the sudden pulling hadn't managed to upset her stride, Serah could feel a small vein develop in her forehead as she pressed the call button and held her phone to her ear.

"Pickuppickuppickup pickup!" Serah yelled hoping that in some way that it was going to make the call answer faster. Thankfully whatever god, be it Lindzei or Etro was smiling on her as she heard the almost boisterous sounding man on the other end laughing a little at the comment. "Amodar, bad news, need to speak fast. I left Claire with Lebreau and now Claire is missing as of twenty minutes and I'm about ready to pun-"

"Serah, relax. I'll have a few cars roam the area where you guys live. I'll go to the station in case she goes there. I assume if Lebreau is alive, she is still at your house, all that remains that Lightning would typically go to can you think of any?"

Slipping her hand free from Serah's Vanille smiled. "I know, Light always loved to be on top." Vanille said as she started to skip off causing Serah to groan very vocally.

"Oh yeah, and my best friend is wasted and just ran off. So I'm starting to fray a little." Serah continued starting to run after Vanille, hoping that she wasn't going to be injured in the meantime. Just so if Serah decided to go on a warpath she could at least have something else she can distract herself with.

"Serah, look after Vanille. If no one sees Lightning within ten minutes, and you don't find her, call me again, and I'll get any available member to start looking. She couldn't have gotten that far. Okay, just go after Vanille." Amador continued in what Serah knew was only calm to keep her calm but for some reason it had been working as he had probably intended.

"Okay. Just... please find Claire." Serah said in the same timid voice she had always had whenever something like this happened, she couldn't even fathom the idea that anything else that can happen to Light could possibly be bad. She had been seemingly dealt a bad hand constantly. She should only be able to go up.

"We will Serah. We will."

Hanging the phone up she slipped her phone back into her bag and nearly started to sprint to keep up with her friend, causing her to just wonder how quick Vanille was. As she rounded one of the corners she saw Vanille duck behind, causing her to groan mentally as she followed.

She had no idea how long she had been running after the red head, and she just knew that with each step she was getting angrier and angrier. She was confident at this point no one would try anything on her fearing what she'd do to them.

Bursting from an alleyway onto an open street, She smiled at the sight of Vanille looking up at some building. Making the short distance, she followed Vanille's hand stretching up towards the top of a building.

"See. I told you Lightning likes to be on top." Vanille said as she could see Serah almost panicking as she dropped her bag and pulled her phone out in some fluid motion.

She knew that whatever her sister's reason for being on top of the building was going to be bad. If anything it was going to be enough to make Serah do a lot that she'd regret. Slamming the phone to her ear as she could see Vanille having joined next to her. Making her question it a little as she grabbed her hand and pulled towards an alleyway and towards what Serah could recognise as a fire escape.

"Amodar, no time. Found Claire." Serah said as she could see Vanille pulling down the ladder that Serah thought looked rusted shut. "She is on top of our old apartment... and I think she may jump... ninth and main." Serah cited off, not giving him a chance to respond as she hung up and started to scramble up the ladder as though she was on fire.

She wasn't even sure if she was hitting each rung, all she knew was that she was getting up this escape in time, or she'd join her sister. There was no in between. Not even looking down, knowing that she'd regret that.

Serah felt like she had blinders on as she got to the top and could see her big sister just standing at the edge. Feeling her voice die in her throat, Serah wanted to run across and pull Lightning back, but she also knew that might push the woman over.

"Serah, stay there." Lightning called back as she continued to stare down at the ground. As though she was contemplating something. "If you get any closer I will jump." Lightning stated.

"Claire." Serah began as she could feel tears starting to slip past their prison. But none of that mattered at that moment. She had to get her sister away from the ledge. She couldn't even fathom how much that was going to pain Serah. "Walk away from the ledge. We can talk about whatever it is that makes you think this is the right way. Think about me. Think about Lumina."

"That's just it!" Lightning stated as she turned around to stare at her sister. "I don't know anything! Most of my adult life is just gone. Apparently I'm a war hero with zero memory of how I earned that title. I was supposedly the youngest captain of a SWAT team with even less memory of that! Not to mention I'm a horrible sister, I'm keeping you from doing your dream of helping the young and I don't even know where Lumina is!" Lightning yelled at her sister and with each word seemed to have dug a knife into Serah's heart.

"Claire, Lumina is on Pulse with Uncle Zack. She got sent there after getting into major shit with the law. I will call him right now if that will make you walk away from the ledge." Serah said holding her phone up as though she was trying to signal to her sister that she'd make good on her promise. "I promise Claire. I'll dial his number right now, but you need to press the call button." Serah said as she quickly turned her phone towards her, a little glad at the blue and red lights that started to come up from the dark streets. At least there would be someone else in the streets that could keep an eye on Vanille.

Once the number was in, Serah held her phone out to her sister. She just wanted her sister far away from the ledge once she was away from the ledge then it would feel less like a life and death gamble. Not to mention it would loosen the feeling of her neck tightening.

"Why would I send her to him!? Even Lumina isn't dumb enough to get into too deep of trouble." Lightning asked taking a step closer to Serah who started to lightly gesture with her outstretched phone closer.

"It was either she spends five years with Zack, or she spends five years in jail Claire. She set fire to five buildings in our college campus that thankfully didn't take any lives. And got caught with some minor drugs that alone didn't cause charges to be brought up against her thanks to your service record and work in the force." Serah stated as she could see Lightning taking a few more steps towards her. As though she was curious how much of what Serah was saying was a lie. "She fought it tooth and nail to the point that you had to take time off, and practically carry her the way there."

Once she felt like Lightning was far enough Serah took a step forward, glad that Lightning didn't take that as an attack on her and just seemed to accept that the gesture was simply to give her the phone.

Meeting closer to the edge than Serah would like, Lightning snatched the phone and quickly hit the call button before she nearly jumped the best she could back towards the ledge. Not liking how closer Serah had gotten.

Pressing the phone to her ear, Lightning smiled slightly at the sound of the ringing at least meaning that it wasn't some fake number purely to get her away from the ledge. She just needed to hope beyond hope that someone she could at least recognise the voice that answered if anyone did.

"Serah? Look I love our sister talks... but I need to be up in an hour to milk the goats and check the chocobos. And no I'm not sending you one of either."

"Lumina?" Light asked feeling her voice hitch a little as she could hear the blankets shifting on the other end as though it was something deeply unusual.

"Light? Can you put me on speaker? I feel like I'm missing something big. Kind of like you with the memory I hear." The voice on the other end said with a small laugh as Lightning moved the phone away from her ear and clicked the speaker button. "Serah quickly tell me what is going on with our crazy sister."

"Lumina, tell Claire where you are. We are on top of the old apartment and she is standing literally on the ledge!" Serah yelled at her twin as she could almost hear some further shifting.

"Oh damn. You really are losing it. I'm at Zack's. Now Light just walk away from the ledge. I'm sure Serah's cooking isn't nearly half as bad to warrant that." Lumina said with a slight chuckle in her voice as Serah felt a vein develop. "But all seriously Light... don't. Honestly there is so much I need to apologise for, but I'm not doing that over the phone. And trust me, that roof isn't high enough to really kill. You are just going to be in agony as your bones heal." Lumina continued as Lightning stared at Serah.

The tears having started to flow freely now. The older sister in her knew that she couldn't let Serah cry like that. She had to do something. Hanging up the phone, Lightning walked towards Serah and quickly wrapped her arms around the smaller Farron. Knowing that it was for the best.

Author's Note:

Okay, so i know it isn't the nicest ending, but with what I have planed next, it is best to call this at just over 3k.